Life's Negotiations

You may have heard about the worldwide Free Hugs campaign. It's a beautiful sentiment.

It's not a Hug Tour.

Since launching my Hug Tour in April, people have sent me Free Hugs videos, and photos of Free Hugs t-shirts they find wherever they are in the world. It's immensely gratifying to be linked with hugs.

Watched the news lately? Maybe you've seen me.

Or, more specifically my hug tour. I launched it in April to show the people I care about that I love them, and in turn encourage others to love the people in their lives.

A hug is a simple way to show you care.

As I was making my lunch today, I opened a spice container and thought:  I love the smell of Thyme.

Recently, there was an article in Inc Magazine by Jason Fried about how laziness can help your business grow. In other words, we make things harder than they need to be. Being yourself, taking on only what is simple and straightforward - this breeds success. 

That's true about time too. It's our choice whether we make time a friend or an enemy.

With the holidays and the end of 2009 upon us, it's a great time to reflect and celebrate all that this year has meant to you.

Simply Leap has a lot to be thankful for, especially in the last month. In case you missed any of it, here's a recap of our appearances around the web:

• Planning a career change or to climb the corporate ladder in 2010? Find tips on choosing the right Career Coach or Mentor for your needs at the Women in Business blog, courtesy of Simply Leap's Lauree Ostrofsky.
• More career-related advice, this time to Keep Your Eyes on Your Own Paper. The classroom rule has been reinvented as a reminder to stay focused in this article on Examiner.com where Lauree is now the DC Career Coach.
• Feeling nostalgic? Responses poured in to: What Was Your Favorite Children's Book as a Kid? See the answers on the website for teachers, ReflectiveRenewal.com, and how their lessons relate to our values as adults.

 Thank you for reading and responding to Simply Leap this year! We hope you'll continue to provide ideas and inspiration.

This morning The Brian Leher Show had a segment on mindfulness. How timely.

The interviewee, Gabriel Cohen, talked about a Buddhist belief that when something bad happens (unemployment, death, divorce), it is like an arrow has hit us.

The Buddhists believe that we often hit ourselves with a second arrow, like judgment or blame, that makes the hurt worse.